1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a message server system which utilizing a directory information base to enhance the convenience of users.
The message in this case includes electronic mails input from terminals such as computers, facsimile data input from facsimile terminal, speech data input from telephone terminals, etc. A message server system includes one or more message server(s) which controls and transfers a message between terminals, connected by lines or radio to various networks, such as telephones, mobile telephones, facsimile machines, pagers, various computers, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a conventional electronic mail (or e-mail) system, which provides asynchronous communications, if a sender sends an e-mail message to the recipient by specifying the recipient""s e-mail address, then the message is transmitted over communication networks to the e-mail server which serves the recipient and is identified by the server address part (which follows the character xe2x80x9c@xe2x80x9d) of the recipient""s e-mail address. The e-mail server stores the message in the electronic mailbox identified by the user ID part of the recipient""s e-mail address which part precedes the character xe2x80x9c@xe2x80x9d.
The present invention relates to a system and method for determining a message transmission destination in such message server system. Various such systems and methods have been proposed so far.
Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. Hei2-281,847 (1990) discloses an xe2x80x9cELECTRONIC MAIL TRANSMISSION SYSTEMxe2x80x9d. In the system, if an e-mail destination for any recipient is input, the full name of the recipient and the related destinations which are stored in a data-base are displayed. Selection by the sender of a desired destination results in an e-mail transmission to the selected destination.
Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. Hei7-131,481 (1995) discloses a xe2x80x9cDETERMINING METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRONIC MAILxe2x80x9d. In the method, the sender is permitted to send a message by specifying the name of the recipient. If a plurality of mail addresses are registered in the entry of a directory information base which is identified by the recipient""s name, the message is transmitted to a mail address specified by address specifying information preset by the recipient.
Japanese unexamined patent application publication No. Hei8-56,263 (1996) discloses a xe2x80x9cPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SERVICE DISTRIBUTION CONTROL SYSTEMxe2x80x9d. The system integrates different kinds of networks (which use different communication procedures and different ID""s to permit each user to utilize a personal communication service without paying any attention to the kind of terminal of the recipient by using a personal ID of the recipient which is available in any of the networks.
However, the above-mentioned prior art references have problems of
(i) lacking flexibility in the way of specifying a recipient,
(ii) having no means for deciding to which e-mail address or terminal a message should be sent if the recipient has a plurality of e-mail addresses or communication terminals, and
(iii) having no means for deciding in what form a message should be sent because of inability of knowing functions and the user interface the recipient""s terminal is provided with.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide an electronic mail system which provides enhanced convenience for users by having a directory information base.
According to the invention, a message transfer service system comprises a data base for managing an address record for each user, message servers and clients served by the servers. Address data with which a recipient can be identified is used as a destination address. If there is only one address in an address record of the recipient, a message is sent to the address.
If the address record contains a plurality of addresses, the addresses are sorted in order of priority based on destination specifying information, which may be registered in the address record by the recipient or specified by the sender. In this case, the message is sent to the highest-priority address. The format of message is converted according to the kind of terminal identified by the highest-priority address, if necessary. The server can execute a script received with a message.
The server can generate a user interface by using interface components stored therein on the basis of application setting information stored in the data base.